Australian cinematographer Mandy Walker has become the first woman in history to be elected as the president of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers.
The Oscar nominated veteran of the screen becomes the 48th president of the century-old invite-only society, which was founded in 1919 and includes more than 400 members across the globe.
In a statement announcing her appointment, the 61-year old director of photography described the role as “a great honour” and “an even bigger privilege to be the first woman to hold the position.”
“I am so humbled to take on the responsibility of representing a society that has carved out an inspiring, inclusive space to meet and support other cinematographers,” she said. “I am proud of our century-old legacy to advance the art and science of cinematography, and I’m excited for the future of our organisation.”
Walker added, “I am intent on making sure our members have the space to grow, the opportunities to educate and learn from one another, and the support of their fellow filmmakers to carve out the best career they can. We will continue to lead efforts in raising awareness about the importance of representation behind the camera.”
Her credits include Lantana, Australia, Hidden Figures, The Mountain Between Us, Tracks, Snow White, Mulan and Elvis. She has also worked on several documentaries, music videos and ad campaigns, most recently for Miu Miu.
In 2023, she became only the third female cinematographer in history to be nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars for her work in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. Previous nominees include Rachel Morrison (for Mudbound) in 2018 and Ari Wegner (for The Power of the Dog) in 2022.
Also in 2023, Walker became the first woman ever to win the American Society of Cinematographers Feature Competition for Elvis.
During her acceptance speech, Walker said the award was dedicated to “all the women that win this award after me.”
“This is an inclusive, representative community. I didn’t cry, I thought I was going to cry.”
Her past accolades include the ACS Cinematographer of the Year Milli Award, Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, and the Order of Australia Medal. She has served as a governor for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and remains a member of the Australian Cinematographer Society.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Walker told the Herald this week that her interest in cinema was ignited after seeing a Spanish film with her mother as a teenager.
Reflecting on her 30-plus years in the industry, she noted: “I’ve been part of a minority as a woman cinematographer. I think it’s still less than 10 per cent are women, so I feel like I’m a good person to champion that cause.”
Women are notoriously underrepresented when it comes to behind the scenes camera operations in the movie industry. A 2023 study by the San Diego State University found that just seven per cent of cinematographers working on the top 250 grossing films in the US were women. In Europe, female DPs accounted for only 10 per cent of cinematographers working between 2017-2021.
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